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02 May 2009

FAAN Conference in Tarrytown

From FAAN:

FAAN’s Annual Food Allergy Conference Comes to Tarrytown, N.Y.

FAIRFAX, Va. (April 30, 2009) – For the millions of Americans with food allergies, the importance of being educated about food allergy and prepared to treat a reaction is not to be underestimated. On May 9, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) will host the third of its 16th annual Food Allergy Conferences in Tarrytown, N.Y. The conference will help both those who have food allergies and those who care for people with food allergies.

The theme for this year’s conferences is “Take Action, Prevent Reactions.” Attendance can help anyone reach this goal, and the knowledge gained can literally mean the difference between life and death.

As the prevalence of food allergy increases, particularly among children, the need for accurate and current information about food allergy is crucial. One study released last fall by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an 18 percent increase in the number of children with food allergies between 1997 and 2007. An estimated 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies.

“These conferences are designed to give people the tools they need to safely manage food allergies – to show them how to ‘Take Action, Prevent Reactions,’” said Julia Bradsher, CEO of FAAN. “But they also link people with others who share the same challenges, letting people know they are not alone.”

FAAN’s conferences offer insight on the most recent research findings about food allergy as well as discussion and networking opportunities with families, caregivers, teachers, child care providers, and school staff. Special sessions are also held for teens, nurses, and registered dietitians.

Topics at the all-day conference also include strategies for avoiding reactions, how to eat well with food allergies, emergency preparedness, tips for dining out with food allergies, and lessons learned from reactions in schools.

In Tarrytown, Dr. Hugh Sampson, a nationally respected leader in the field of allergy research, will be a featured speaker. Sampson is a professor of pediatrics and immunobiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy & Immunology in the Department of Pediatrics, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, and Dean of Translational Biomedical Science at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

“The FAAN Conference is one of the best resources for the latest information on food allergy,” Sampson said. “Everyone, from the newly diagnosed to the seasoned veteran, will walk away with a better understanding of dealing with food allergies.”

The Tarrytown conference will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will be held at the Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road.

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